This letterbox-hybrid is part of a series of caches dedicated to the reminiscence and admiration of Roseville’s early dwellers. It is part of a series of caches called: “CACHE OUT IN ROSEVILLE”
Near the intersection of today’s Old Auburn Road and South Cirby Way, there used to be a stop called the 18 Mile House. Also known as a Half Way houseback then, it was a popular stage and express stop along the Sacramento-Auburn Road. A train, “The California Central”, also made a stop here on its way from Folsom to Junction (now called Roseville). Numerous stock ranches were also located in the vicinity of this busy way station. Between Sacramento and Auburn, there were a total of seven half way houses, which were numbered: 7, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, & 26. In the days before the automobile and the invention of the ODOMETER, one way that the traveling public could gauge distances was by these numbered houses. Some of the houses were public inns, and others were private residences. Today, only the 12 Mile House (now empty and boarded up) and the 14 Mile House (still a private residence) remain from the bygone era of slow moving teamster wagons and crowded stagecoaches winding their way laboriously over the Sacramento-Auburn Road. (Information from “The Story of Roseville, California… Milestones & Memories 1850-2000” by Leonard M. Davis)
Here are the directions to get to the Letterbox-Hybrid. Be sure to bring your own stamp so that you can exchange stamp images. This new cache replaces my old cache, “Odometers”, because the area where the cache was formerly hidden is now housing. This new, improved cache features more of a trail to follow, a lot less stickers, and seating at the final.
- Park at or near the starting coordinates.
· While you are at the starting point, take a look at the stream just beyond the end of the road, past the red warning sign. Across the stream, you can see the remnants of the old bank support for an old bridge.
· Now walk downhill alongside the cabled short lumber fence until you get to the yellow cable rope.
- Go over/under the yellow cable.
· Continue down the clearing between the trees until the ground flattens out. There will be a smaller tree on your right.
- Continue walking another 40 feet or so. Stop.
· Now turn to your right and you will see a rectangular area, probably filled with leaves . . . . . about 70 feet in the distance.
· Walk to the beginning of that rectangle. It will have concrete edges on the side. It used to have guide poles sticking out of the edge top, but these have recently been cut off.
· This is a remnant of the old road. Think of all the wagons and horses that must have traveled thru this area during the last half of the 19 th century. Also traveling thru this area was the train track from the “California Central”. Unfortunately, there is nothing left of the track in this area.
· Continue on down this old road to the very end, where the sides will narrow.
· At the end and on your right is a multi-branched tree. Cache is hidden in the middle of the tree, under slabs of bark.
Sign the log and exchange stamp images. There is extra paper inside to make a stamp image for your own souvenir. Please rehide well.